Image forming system and a method for loading sheet films

ABSTRACT

An image forming system includes: (1) an image forming apparatus and (2) a film package having a plurality of photosensitive sheet films and a light shielding bag that packs the plurality of photosensitive sheet films. Herein, the light shielding bag includes a bag section, a cut section to be cut at a first end portion of the bag section, and a holding section opposite the first end portion; after the cut section is cut, the film package is loaded on the loading section and mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the holding section is pulled from outside to take out the bag from the apparatus, and the photosensitive sheet films remain loaded on the loading section; and a length of the holding section outside the main body of the apparatus is smaller than or equal to 70 mm.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 2005-124840 filed on Apr. 22, 2005, No. 2005-148078 filed on May 20, 2005 and No. 2005-244427 filed on Aug. 25, 2005, in Japanese Patent Office, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image forming system and a method for loading sheet films and pulling out a light-shielding bag from the main body of an image forming system with maintaining a light shielding condition after loading the film package of sheet films into the main body of the image forming system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A desktop type printer placed on a desktop, the height of the desktop from floor being 600-700 mm, has been widely used. When loading recording paper sheets into the printer, it is possible to simply pull out an empty tray from the printer, load new recording paper sheets and put back the tray into the main body of the printer. The reason why it is simple to load new recording paper sheets onto the tray in a conventional printer is that it is not necessary to maintain the recording paper sheets in a light shielding condition.

Meanwhile, when loading photosensitive sheet films onto the tray in a medical imager or a medical image forming apparatus, it is necessary to keep the sheet films in a light shielding condition. Particularly, when loading a film package designed so that the film package can be loaded in a lighted room, the light shielding bag is automatically or manually removed from the upper surface of the film sheets under the light shielding condition. In the case of manual operation, in general, the light shielding bag is pulled out from the main body of the apparatus. At the time when the light shielding bag is removed, it is necessary to cut the end portion opposite to the end portion to be pulled out to maintain the light shielding condition and decrease the pull-out-torque of the light shielding bag. It is also necessary to provide a structure of the image forming system for responding to the case when the end portion opposite to the end portion to be pulled out is left uncut due to forgetting to cut.

In a conventional standalone type image forming apparatus, it is not possible to pull out the light shielding bag from the main body of the image forming apparatus even pulling out the end portion of the light shielding bag to be pulled out, when the end portion was not cut. Since the weight of the image forming apparatus is heavy, the image forming apparatus cannot be moved. Consequently, it is easily noticeable for users that abnormality has occurred such that the end portion of the shielding bag has not been cut. However in the case of a relatively small sized desktop type image forming apparatus which has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 2002-162692, there is a possibility that the image forming apparatus moves in the direction which the light shielding bag is pulled and falls from the desktop or the desk tips over when continuing to pull out the light shielding bag without cutting the end portion of the light shielding bag.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system and a method for loading sheet films in the image forming system capable of preventing the main body from moving on the desktop and falling from the desktop beforehand even when pulling out the light shielding bag from the main body of the image forming system without cutting one end of the light shielding bag after a film package has been loaded into the main body of the image forming system and to solve problems of the prior art as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming system that includes

(1) an image forming apparatus including: an image forming section that forms an image on a photosensitive sheet film; a loading section to load a plurality of photo sensitive sheet films; and a main body of the apparatus that accommodates the image forming section and the loading section and maintains inside of the main body light shielded; and

(2) a film package including: a plurality of photosensitive sheet films; and a light shielding bag that packs the plurality of photosensitive sheet films,

wherein, the light shielding bag includes a bag section, a cut section to be cut at a first end portion of the bag section, and a holding section provided at a second end portion of the bag section opposite the first end portion; after the cut section is cut, the film package is loaded on the loading section and mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the holding section is pulled from outside so that the bag is taken out of the main body of the apparatus, and the plurality of photosensitive sheet films remain loaded on the loading section; and a length of the holding section that is outside the main body of the apparatus and pulled is smaller than or equal to 70 mm.

In a second aspect of the invention, for the image forming system in the first aspect, a buffer member is provided at a bottom of the main body of the apparatus, the buffer member having a high friction coefficient and being capable of damping vibration transmission.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a sheet film loading method of loading a plurality of photosensitive sheet films by loading a film package including a light shielding bag that stores the plurality of light shielding films onto a loading section of an image forming apparatus, cutting a cut section provided at an end portion of the light shielding bag, thereafter setting a length of a holding section that is disposed at another end portion and for pulling out the light shielding bag from outside to smaller than or equal to 70 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of an image forming apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view showing a film loading section in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a film package capable of being loaded onto a film loading section shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein a part of the film package is cut for the perspective view;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view for showing the cross sectional structure of a light shielding bag of the film package shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a main part showing a rack and pinion structure associated with a light shielding roller 75 pressing the second end ‘b’ of the light shielding bag of the film package P, the second end ‘b’ being folded onto the film package P that is loaded on the film loading section shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6(a) is a perspective view for describing a mode for pinching both ends of the light shielding bag of the present embodiment and FIG. 6(b) is also a perspective view for describing another mode for holding the both ends of the light shielding bag in the present embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a side view for showing the main body of the apparatus sitting on a desk in the present embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view for showing a schematic diagram of a positioning member for determining the position of the bundle of films in the film package shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) illustrate a side view of the schematic diagram for describing manufacturing processes of the film package shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of an example of a package-bag (a barrier-bag) in a prior art;

FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) illustrate schematic diagrams of the side view of the main body of the apparatus for describing two cases of the reference planes of the length of the portion of the light shielding bag, the portion being outside the main body of the apparatus;

FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of the sketch of a main part of the image forming apparatus in a state where buffer members are arranged at the bottom of the apparatus in the present embodiment;

FIG. 13 illustrates a partial side view for partially showing a lock device based on a lock 45 a and a lock 71 a of the film loading section 45 shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic diagram of the perspective view of a package using a tray in a prior art;

FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic diagram of the perspective view of a package using a tray in accordance with the present embodiment;

FIG. 16 illustrates an explored schematic diagram of a tray in accordance with the present embodiment shown in FIG. 15;

FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b) illustrate schematic diagrams of cross sectional views along A-A′ in FIG. 16;

FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) illustrate magnified schematic diagrams of the cross sectional views of buffer members having a plate shape shown in FIG. 16;

FIGS. 19(a) and 19(b) illustrate plan views of the buffer members having a plate shape shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 illustrates a schematic diagram of the perspective view of an example showing that the buffer members having a plate shape as shown in FIG. 16 are provided on the first bottom of the tray; and

FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b) illustrate schematic diagrams of flat plate member having another shape.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention includes following items.

[Item 1]

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, the apparatus having a loading section capable of loading a film package that includes a light shielding bag into which a plurality of sheet films is stored so that the sheet films are shielded from lights, the loading section being arranged at a lower portion of a main body of the image forming apparatus to move, relative to the main body of the apparatus, between a position where the film package is loaded and a position from which a sheet film is fed out, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of being used on a desktop and is arranged such that the light shielding bag can be taken out from the main body while maintaining the plurality of the sheet films in a light shielding condition after having loaded the film package, and a length of the portion of the light shielding bag, the portion being outside the main body is not longer than 70 mm when the loading section having been moved to the position from which a film is fed out after loading the film package.

According to this image forming system, when a user has loaded a film package into the image forming system without cutting the end portion of the light shielding bag, since the length, of the light shielding bag, which is outside the main body of the image forming apparatus is not longer than 70 mm, it is difficult for the user to firmly hold the end portion of the light shielding bag even though the user tries to hold the end portion of the light shielding bag with both hands and forcefully pull the bag. Accordingly, it becomes impossible to apply a force large enough to pull out the shielding bag from the main body of the image forming apparatus. As a result, the user can notice the abnormality that the end portion of the light shielding bag has not been cut, and thus the main body of the image forming system is prevented from moving on and falling from a desktop or tipping over together with the desk (hereinafter, also referred to merely as “tipping over”) when the light shielding bag is pulled out from the main body.

[Item 2]

The light shielding bag of the Item 1 is arranged to have a structure such that a user pulls out the light shielding bag from the main body after cutting a 1st end portion of the shielding bag opposite to a 2nd end portion on the side where the light shielding bag is pulled. Even if the 1st end portion of the shielding bag is cut, the light shielding condition for the films can be maintained.

[Item 3]

It is preferable that the light shielding bag has a flat shape without a part, in the 2nd end portion of the bag at which the light shielding bag is pulled, to hook a finger through. Based on this configuration, it becomes more difficult for a user to hold the end portion of the light shielding bag and becomes surely impossible for the user to forcibly pull out the light shielding bag.

[Item 4]

It is preferable that the film package is held such that the force for pulling out the light shielding bag is not larger than 147 N (Newton).

[Item 5]

The image forming system further includes a guide for guiding the light shielding bag so that a direction to which the light shielding bag is pull out from the main body is upward comparing with a horizontal direction. According to this Item 5, when the end portion of the light shielding bag has not been cut, even though the light shielding bag can be pulled out, the force is applied toward upward. Accordingly, the risk that the main body of the image forming apparatus falls from the desktop toward an operator becomes lower.

[Item 6]

There is provided a sheet film loading method of loading sheet films on an image forming apparatus that includes a loading section capable of loading a film package that includes a light shielding bag into which a plurality of sheet films is stored so that the sheet films are shielded from lights, the loading section being arranged at a lower portion of a main body of the image forming apparatus to move, relative to the main body of the apparatus, between a position where the film package is loaded and a position from which a sheet film is fed out, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of being used on a desktop and is arranged such that the light shielding bag can be taken out from the main body while maintaining the plurality of the sheet films in a light shielding condition after having loaded the film package, and the film package is loaded such that the length of the portion of the light shielding bag, the portion being outside the main body, is not larger than 70 mm when the loading section has been moved to the position from which a sheet film is fed out after loading the film package.

[Item 7]

In the sheet film loading method of Item 6, a user pulls out the light shielding bag from the main body after cutting a 1st end portion of the shielding bag opposite to a 2nd end portion on the side at which the light shielding bag is pulled.

[Item 8]

In the sheet film loading method of Item 6 or 7, the light shielding bag preferably has a flat shape without a part, in the 2nd end portion of the bag at which the light shielding bag is pulled, to hook a finger through.

[Item 9]

In the sheet film loading method of Item 6, 7 or 8, the film package is preferably held such that the force for pulling out the light shielding bag is not larger than 147 N.

[Item 10]

An image forming apparatus includes a film loading section capable of loading a film package and moving between a loading position, of the film package, to which the loading section is pulled out from the main body of the image forming apparatus and a film feed-out position in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the film package including a tray having a bottom plate and a side flap, a plurality of sheet films placed on the tray and a light shielding bag holding the tray and the plurality of sheet films in a light shielding condition; a pickup device for taking out a sheet film after the light shielding bag of the film package loaded on the film loading section is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus; an exposing device for forming a latent image on a substantially full surface of the sheet film by scanning operation of a light scanning device while conveying the film sheet having been taken out; a developing device for developing the latent image formed on the sheet film; and a housing section for holding the film loading section, the pickup device, the light scanning device, the exposing device and the developing device, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to be a desktop style; the plurality of the film sheets is arranged such that a user can remove the light shielding bag from the main body of the image forming apparatus after the film loading section having the film package loaded thereon has reached the feed-out position; and a buffer member that has a high friction coefficient and is capable of damping vibration transmission is provided at the bottom of the housing section.

According to the image forming apparatus described above, since the buffer member having a high friction coefficient capable of decreasing vibration transmission is provided at the bottom of the housing of the image forming apparatus, it becomes possible to damp the vibration transmission from the outside into the main body of the image forming apparatus on a desktop and at the same time, it becomes possible to prevent the main body of the image forming apparatus from moving on the desktop and falling from the desktop or tipping over, since the moving force required for moving the apparatus becomes large due to the high friction coefficient even when pulling out the end portion of the light shielding bag to remove the light shielding bag.

[Item 11]

In the image forming apparatus of the Item 10, it is preferable that the developing device develops the front end side of the sheet film while the sheet film is exposed by an exposing device in the image forming apparatus. According to this way, it is possible to minimize the size of the apparatus.

[Item 12]

With respect to the image forming apparatus of Item 10 or 11, the weight of the main body of the apparatus is preferably 60 to 70 kg.

[Item 13]

In the image forming apparatus of any one of Items 10 to 12, the image forming apparatus can be arranged such that a user is able to manually hold the portion of the light shielding bag which is outside the main body of the image forming apparatus and pull it out from the main body when having moved a film loading device to the feed-out position. It is preferable that the configuration is arranged such that the light shielding bag is removed after a 1st end portion is cut, the 1st end portion being opposite to a 2nd end portion of the light shielding bag to be pulled out from the main body. In this case, the main body of the image forming apparatus does not come to the situation where the main body of the image forming apparatus moves and falls from the desktop, or tips over by arranging the configuration such that the lock mechanism of the film loading device is released when the pulling force applied when the light shielding bag is pulled out without cutting the 1st end portion of the light shielding bag, has reached the predetermined value. It is also possible to prevent the main body of the image forming apparatus from moving on and falling from the desktop or tipping over by arranging the length of the 2nd end portion, of the light shielding bag, which is outside the main body of the image forming apparatus not to be larger than 70 mm to control the pulling force caused when a user holds the 2nd end portion of the light shielding bag under a certain level.

[Item 14]

In the image forming apparatus of any one of Items 10 to 13, it is preferable that the buffer member has a characteristic capable of damping the transmission of low frequency vibration particularly not higher than 25 Hz.

[Item 15]

In the image forming apparatus of any one of Items 10 to 14, it is preferable the configuration is arranged such that the light shielding bag is removed after the 1st end portion has been cut.

A preferable embodiment of the present invention will be described below by referring to drawings below. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the side view of an important portion of an embodiment of the present invention being a thermal development type image forming apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment of thermal development type image forming apparatus 40 has a light scanning exposure 55 for emitting laser beams L onto a surface EC to form a latent image while sub-scanning and conveying the film F that has the surface EC (emulsion coating side) with thermal developing material coated on such a as PET and has a surface BC (back coating side) opposed to the surface EC. Then the image forming apparatus 40 heats the film F from surface BC side to develop and visualize a latent image and conveys and ejects the film to the upper portion of the apparatus through a conveyance path having a curvature. The image forming apparatus 40 has a relatively small housing 40 a and is configured as a desktop model capable of being placed on a desk.

The image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a film loading section 45 for storing a plurality of films which has not been used, the loading section being provided adjacent to the bottom of the housing 40 a, a pickup roller 46 for picking up a film F on the top of the film loading section 45 and conveying the film F, a conveyance roller pair 47 for conveying the film F from the conveyance roller 47, a curved guide 48 being structured into a curved shape so as to guide, turn and convey the film F from the conveyance roller pair 47, conveyer roller pairs 49 a and 49 b for sub-scanning and conveying the film F from the curved guide 48, a light scan exposure 55 for forming a latent image on the EC surface by scanning laser beams L and exposing based on a image data onto the film F between the conveyance roller pairs 49 a and 49 b.

The image forming apparatus 40 further includes a temperature raising section 50 for heating the film F, on which a latent image has been formed, from the surface BC side until the temperature reaches a predetermined thermal developing temperature, a temperature retaining section 53 for heating the film F whose temperature has been raised and keeping the temperature at the predetermined thermal developing temperature, a cooling section 54 for cooling the film F which has been heated from the surface BC side, a densitometer 56 for measuring the optical density of the film F, which is provided at the output side of the cooling section 54, a conveyance roller pair 57 for outputting the film F for the densitometer 56 and a film stacker 58 provided on the top surface of the housing 40 a so that the film F outputted from the conveyance roller pair 57 can be placed.

As shown in FIG. 1, provided are the film loading section 45, a plate 59, the conveyance roller pairs 49 a and 49 b, the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 (upper stream side) in the order toward the upper direction, in the image forming apparatus 40. Since the film loading section 45 is provided at the lowest portion and the plate 59 is provided between the film loading section and the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53, heating effect does not affect on the film loading section 45.

Since the conveyance path from the conveyer roller pairs 49 a and 49 b for sub-scanning and conveying the film F to the temperature raising section 50 is arranged to be comparatively short, the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 thermally develops the front end of the film F while the light scanning exposure 55 exposes the film F.

The temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 configure a heater for raising temperature of the film F to the thermal developing temperature and keeping the temperature at the thermal developing temperature. The temperature raising section 50 includes the first heating zone 51 for heating the film F at the upper stream and the second heating zone 52 for heating the film F at the lower stream.

The first heating zone 51 includes a heating guide 51 b which is made of metal material such as aluminum shaped in flat and fixed on the housing, a heater 51 c which is made of silicon rubber shaped in flat closely contacted on the heating guide 51 b and a plurality of opposed rollers 51 a capable of pressing the film onto a fixed guide surface 51 d of the heating guide 51 b and being arranged such that the space between the roller surface and the fixed guide surface 51 d is kept narrower than the thickness of the film, the opposed rollers 51 a being made of silicon rubber having a higher heat insulation characteristic on the surface of the rollers than that of metal.

The first heating zone 52 includes a heating guide 52 b which is made of metal material such as aluminum shaped in flat and fixed on the housing, a heater 52 c which is made of silicon rubber shaped in flat closely contacted on the heating guide 52 b and a plurality of opposed rollers 52 a capable of pressing the film onto a fixed guide surface 52 d of the heating guide 52 b and being arranged such that the space between the roller surface and the fixed guide surface 52 d is kept narrower than the thickness of the film, the opposed rollers 52 a being made of silicon rubber having a higher heat insulation characteristics on the surface of the rollers than that of metal.

The temperature retaining section 53 includes a heating guide 53 b which is made of metal material such as aluminum shaped in flat and fixed on the housing, heater 53 c which is made of silicon rubber shaped in flat closely contacted on the heating guide 53 b and a guide 53 a which is made of heat insulating material arranged opposed to a fixed guide surface 53 d structured on the surface of the heating guide 53 b with a predetermined space ‘d’. The temperature retaining section 53 is structured such that the temperature raising section 50 side flatly continues to the second heating zone 52, and structured in curved surface with a predetermined curvature form the middle portion of the temperature raising section 53 toward the upper direction.

In the heating zone 51 of the temperature raising section 50, each opposed roller 51 a which is rotatably driven presses the BC surface of the film F conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 49 a and 49 b from the upper stream of the temperature raising section 50 is arranged to be closely contacted and heated onto the fixed guide surface 51 d and conveyed.

In the second heating zone 52, each opposed roller 52 a which is rotatably driven presses the film F that has been conveyed from the first heating zone 51 so that the film F is conveyed while the surface BC is in close contact with the fixed guide surface 51 d and heated.

A recessed portion having an upward opening structured in a V-shape may be provided between the second heating zone 52 of the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature keeper 52. In such a manner, a foreign object from the temperature raising section 50 drops into the recessed portion, and accordingly the foreign object from the temperature raising section 50 is prevented from being carried into the temperature retaining section 53.

In the temperature retaining section 53, the film F conveyed from the second heating zone 52 passes through a gap space ‘dd’ by the conveyance force of the opposed roller 52 a of the second heating zone 52 while the film F is heated by the heat from the heating guide 53 b (or the heat of the film F is insulated) in the gap space ‘dd’ between the fixed guide surface 53 d of the heating guide 53 b and the guide 53 a. The film F is conveyed as gradually changing the conveyance direction from horizontal direction to the vertical direction and moved to the cooling section 54.

In the cooling section 54, the opposed rollers 54 a are arranged to convey the film F to the film stacker 58 while changing the conveyance direction from the vertical direction to the oblique direction and while the film F conveyed from the temperature retaining section 53 in the substantially vertical direction is cooled by being pressed against a cooling guide surface 54 c of the cooling plate 54 b made of metal material. It becomes possible to improve the cooling effect by changing the cooling plate 54 to a heat sink structure having a fin. It is also possible to structure the cooling plate 54 b a part of which is changed to a heat sink.

The densitometer 56 measures the optical density of cooled film F outputted from the cooling section 54 and the conveyance roller pair 57 conveys the film F to the film stacker 58. The film stacker 58 can temporally hold a plurality of films F.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus 40 shown in FIG. 1, a film F is conveyed while the BC surface of the film F faces to the fixed guide surfaces 51 d, 52 d and 53 d being under heated condition and the EC surface having thermal developing material thereon is open. In the cooling section 54, the film F is conveyed while the BC surface of the film F is cooled by contacting onto the cooling guide surface 54 c and the EC surface having thermal developing material thereon is open.

The opposed rollers 51 a and 52 a convey the film F so that the passing time through the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 is not more than 10 seconds. Accordingly the heating time of the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 is not more than 10 seconds.

Next, the film loading section 45 shown in FIG. 1 will be described referring to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates the side view showing the film loading section shown in FIG. 1.

As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the light scanning exposure 55 is structures such that Laser beams L modulated by the image data inputted from outside are emitted from a semiconductor laser 55 a. The laser beams L pass through a collimator lens and a cylindrical lens 55 b and enters a polygon mirror 55 c. The laser beams L are reflected in a main scanning direction and diffracted. The laser beams L pass through an fθ lens 55 d and are reflected by a mirror 55 e. The laser beams L are emitted out of an exposure housing 55 f. Emitted laser beams L conduct main scanning onto the film F in the vertical direction to the page in FIG. 1. The laser beams L form a latent image on substantially the entire EC surface of the film F conveyed in the sub scanning direction between the conveyance roller pair 49 a and 49 b by exposing film F based on the image data. Respective parts 55 a-55 e in the light scanning exposure 55 described above are fixed onto the exposure housing 55 f.

The film loading section 45, the pickup roller 46, conveyance roller pair 47, the curved surface guide 48, conveyance roller pairs 49 a and 49 b, the exposure housing 55 f of the light scanning exposure 55, the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 are related to the image forming operation from the latent image formation to the development of the image and are supported by the housing 40 a directly or through the other member.

The film package capable of being loaded onto the film-loading section 45 shown in FIGS. 1-2 will be described below by referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a film package (in a state where both ends ‘a’ and ‘b’ in FIG. 9(c) are extended) capable of being loaded onto a film loading section shown in FIGS. 1-2, a part of the film package is cut for the perspective view. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view for showing the cross sectional configuration of a light shielding bag of the film package shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view for showing the schematic diagram of a positioning member for determining the position of the bundle of the films in the film package shown in FIG. 3. FIGS. 9(a) to (c) illustrate a side view of the schematic diagram for describing the manufacturing processes of the film package shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of an example of a conventional package-bag called a barrier-bag.

A film package P which can be loaded onto the film loading section 45 includes a predetermined number of piece of sheet films (for example, 125) having a predetermined size (for example, the size of the sheet film being 14 inch×17 inch) placed on a positioning member D to be a positioning device and a light shielding bag (which is also called a barrier bag B) into which the positioning member D and a bundle of sheet films F placed on the positioning member D are inserted, as shown in FIG. 3. A part of the bundle of the films F, which is opposed to at least one of flaps D1-D4 (raised portions) of the positioning member D shown in FIG. 8 in the barrier bag B, is sealed by a seal s being straightly and thermally sealed in order to optically shield the films F in the barrier bag B.

It is possible to use the structure of the positioning member D and the film package P disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 2002-323736. Namely, as shown in FIG. 8, the four sides of a bottom plate D0 shaped in a rectangle are folded to form flaps D1-D4. The four corners C are cut off.

The film package P is manufactured by the following method.

The positioning member D having films F thereon shown in FIG. 9(a) is inserted into a light shielding bag, one end ‘a’ of which has been sealed in advance and the other end is open as shown in FIG. 9(b). As shown in FIG. 9(c), a seal s seals the other end while the air inside of the light-shielding bag B is exhausted. Then both ends ‘a’ and ‘b’ are folded inside onto the upper portion of the positioning member D and packaging tape ‘e’ is stuck to the both ends.

As shown in FIG. 4, the light shielding bag B is formed by a multi layered structure of a laminate film having plural layers 91 a, 91 b and 91 c of LDPE (Low Density polyethylene) including a light shielding material 92 such as carbon black, and aluminum layer 93 being evaporated onto the multi layered structure of the laminate film. The aluminum layer 93 side is going to be an external surface of the light shielding bag and the LDPE layer 91 c side is going to be inside surface 95.

The film-loading section 45 shown in FIGS. 1-2 is configured to move between a film loading position and a feed-out position in the housing 40 a. The film-loading section 45 is also configured in a tray shape capable of being pulled in the horizontal direction H from the feed-out position as shown in FIG. 2 so that the film package P shown in FIG. 3 can be loaded thereon. Here, the feed-out position of the film-loading section 45 is a position to which the film-loading section 45 is pushed inward in the direction H′ and feeds out a film to the lower stream to form a latent image on the film by the light scanning exposure 55.

The film package P is loaded at the film loading position to which the film-loading section 45 has been pulled out in the horizontal direction H from housing 40 a so that one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B is pulled out through a pair of guide rollers 70 arranged to be freely rotated and the other end portion ‘b’ is located in the film loading section 45.

When the film package P has been loaded as shown in FIG. 2, the other end portion ‘b’ which is pressed by a light-shielding roller 75 is cut by a scissors or a cutter along with a cutting line ‘d’. The film loading section 45 is pushed in the horizontal direction H′ after removing the rest of the light shielding bag B including the seal ‘s’ which has been cut off as shown in dotted ling in FIG. 2.

When the film loading section 45 is pushed in the horizontal direction H′, the lock 45 a which is configured by cutting off an upper end of the back wall standing on the rear side of the film loading section 45 thrusts a lock 71 a which is configured by cutting off a part of front end of a lock member 71. Consequently, the lock member 71 which is forced in the swing direction ‘r’ (counterclockwise) by the forcing member such as a spring rotates in the swing direction ‘r′’ (clockwise) against the force in the swing direction ‘r’. When the film-loading section 45 is further pushed in and the lock 45 a pass through the lock 71 a of the lock member 71, the lock member 71 is swung back in the swing direction to the original position by the force of the forcing member and the lock 45 a latches lock 71 a. As a result, the film-loading section 45 is locked. As described above, the film-loading section 45 is pushed in the horizontal direction H′ and set in a locked condition on the bottom 40 b of the housing 40 a. When pulling out the film-loading section 45 under the locked condition in a horizontal direction H, the latch made between the lock 71 a of the lock member 71 and the lock 45 a can be released by swinging the lock member 71 into the swinging direction ‘r′’ against the force in the swinging direction ‘r’ as shown in FIG. 2 by driving a solenoid 72 provided on the internal wall of the housing 40 a through a switch (not shown).

Next, the operation in which the film is exposed to record an image on a film F after loading the film package P onto the film-loading section 45 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and removing the light shielding bag will be described below.

The film package P is loaded on the film-loading section 45 at the film loading position to which the film-loading section 45 positioned as shown in FIG. 2 is pulled out in the horizontal direction H. Then, one end ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B is pulled outward from the film-loading section 45 through between a paired roller guides 70. After pressing the other end portion ‘b’ by the light shielding roller 75, the other end portion ‘b’ is cut by scissors or a cutter along with the cutting line ‘d’. After removing the part which has been cut off, the film-loading section 45 is pushed back in the horizontal direction H′ to be set on the bottom 40 b of the housing 40 a.

By the setting described above, one end portion ‘a’ (a holding section at which a user can pull the light shielding bag by pinching, holding, gripping, or the like) of the light shielding bag B is left outside the housing 40 a from a slit ‘g’ formed between the housing 40 a and the film-loading section 45. A user pulls out the light shielding bag B by holding one end ‘a’, having a length of ‘n’ from the housing 40 a, of the light shielding bag B as shown in FIG. 2 and pulling the one end portion ‘a’ in substantially horizontal direction H. Based on this operation, the film F in the film-loading section 45 is exposed in the housing 40 a.

As described above, the light shielding bag B can be removed from the film package P loaded on the film-loading section 45. A film F placed on the top of the film-loading section is conveyed corresponding to the necessity by the pickup roller 46 and conveyance roller pair 47. The light scanning exposure 55 scans and exposes the film F to form a latent image on the surface EC of the film F. Then the temperature raising section 50 and the temperature retaining section 53 heat and develop the film F.

In order to anticipate the situation where a user forgets cutting the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B including the seal ‘s’ among operations described above, the length of the one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B is set not larger than 70 mm, preferably not larger than 50 mm. It is preferable that the material and the shape of the guide rollers 70 and the space between guide rollers 70 are arranged so that the pulling force when a user pulls out the one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B is not larger than 50 N (Newton).

Namely, when a user loads the film package P onto the film-loading section 45 without cutting off the other end portion of the light shielding bag B including the seal ‘s’, since the seal ‘s’ is left at the other end ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B, the seal ‘s’ hits the positioning member D and the flap D1 of the positioning member D and moves the light shielding bag B together with the positioning member D and films F stored in the positioning member D. When touching with guide rollers 70, the resistance against the operation for pulling of the light shielding bag B rapidly increases. Accordingly, the user can feel the difference in load from normal pulling of the light shielding bag B (about 50 N). Consequently, the user can recognize that the abnormal operation (forgetting the barrier cut) occurs.

When the length of the one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B (a barrier bag) from the outer surface of the main body of the apparatus is not larger than 70 mm (preferably, not larger than 50 mm), since the user can not hold the end portion of the shielding bag B against the increase in the resistance described above even though the user tries to forcefully hold the end portion with both hands, the both hands slip and it becomes possible to avoid generating large force that makes the apparatus fall from the desk or tip over together with the desk.

The length of the one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B shown in FIG. 9 is arranged such that the length from the outer surface of the apparatus 40 a is not larger than 70 mm when the film package P is placed on the film-loading section 45. In this case, taking account of the distance α (about 30 mm) from the guide rollers 70 to the outer surface of the apparatus, actual length is going to be 70 mm+α.

In a relatively small size image forming apparatus of a desktop style as shown in FIG. 1, since an automatic pulling-out mechanism for automatic pulling-out processing is going to be a factor for enlarging the size of the apparatus, the automatic pulling-out mechanism is not preferable and the manual pulling-out mechanism described above is preferable. In this case, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it becomes possible to simply and surely realize the countermeasure for the case forgetting to cut the other end portion ‘b’ of the light-shielding bag B.

When the film loading section 45 is set in the housing 40 a, the one end portion ‘a’ of the shielding bag B is left outside of the housing 40 a through the guide rollers 70 and the slit ‘g’. In this case, since the height of the slit ‘g’ from the bottom of the housing 40 a is higher than the middle point of the pair of guide rollers 70, if a user has forgotten to cut the end portion of the light shielding bag B, even though the user can pull out the light shielding bag B, the force for pulling out the light shielding bag B is applied obliquely upward as arrow direction ‘t’ in a dotted line in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus 40 moves upward and the possibility of falling down from the desktop or tipping over together with the desk becomes small.

As described above, when pulling out the film-loading section 45 in the horizontal direction H from the position shown in FIG. 2 in the normal room environment, after loading the film package P, a user peals the packaging tape ‘e’ shown in FIG. 9(c), extends one end portion ‘a’ to be pulled out which has been folded and passes between the guide rollers 70. Meanwhile, the user uses the light shielding roller 75 extending along the width direction of the film package P to hold the other end portion ‘b’ to be cut and straightly cut the other end portion ‘b’ along the cut line ‘d’ inner than the seal ‘s’. The light shielding roller 75 shields the inside of the film package P from light when the user cuts the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B and it becomes possible to surely keep light shielding.

The light shielding roller 75 described above may be arranged such that the light shielding roller 75 automatically works on the film package P when the film-loading section 45 is pulled out. This roller mechanism, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, includes a pinion 77 for freely and rotatably supporting the film-loading section 45, a connecting member 76 for connecting the film-loading section 45 and the pinion 76, a rack 78 for meshing with the pinion 77 provided on the side of the film-loading section 45 and an extending member 79 connected to the rack 78 toward the rear portion of the housing 40 a. The light shielding roller 75 rotates in the rotation direction R or R′ following the rotation of the pinion 77. When the film-loading section 45 is pulled out and located at the film loading position, the rack 78 and the pinion 77 are located in a position as shown by a solid line in FIG. 5, and the light shielding roller 75 holds the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B from upper portion. As a result, even though the other end portion ‘b’ including the seal ‘s’ of the light shielding bag B is cut, the inside of the light shielding bag B is shielded from light.

When the user pushes the film-loading section 45 into the housing 40 a and the front end 79 a of the extending member 79 of the rack 78 reaches the internal wall 40 c of the housing 40 a as shown in a doted line in FIG. 5, the rack 78 stops and the film-loading section 45 moves to the feed-out position. The pinion 77 rotates against the rack 78 while moving to the point shown in a doted line in the FIG. 5. Based on this operation, since the light shielding roller 75 rotates in the rotation direction R′, the light shielding roller 75 moves away from the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag.

With the rack and pinion mechanism illustrated in FIG. 5, the light shielding roller 75 holds the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B and surely shields light when the film-loading section 45 is pulled out and stays in the film loading poison. When the film-loading section 45 is pushed into the housing 40 a and moved to the feed-out position, the shielding roller 75 moves away from the other end portion ‘b’ and the light shielding bag B can be removed without obstacle.

It is not preferable to provide a cutting or an opening to be hooked by a finger at one end portion of the light shielding bag B, which is located in the side where the user can hold. Based on this manner, when the user forgets to cut the other end portion of the light shielding bag B, it becomes more difficult for the user to hold one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B. Accordingly, it becomes impossible to forcefully pull the light shielding bag. For example, in this invention, it is not preferable to provide cut holes formed at one end portion of a barrier bag 300 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 2002-323736, but a flat structure having no cut holes is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film loading section 45 is locked by latching the locking member 71 on the housing 40 a to the lock 45 a at the feed-out position in the image forming apparatus. It is preferable that the proof weight of the lock 45 a is designed about two times of the pulling force of the light shielding bag when the pulling force of the light shielding bag is about 50N. In such a manner, when the light shielding bag is correctly cut, the light shielding bag can be correctly removed and when forgetting to cut the light shielding bag, the entire loading section moves (lock is released) before the apparatus falls or tips over together with the desk. Consequently, the user can notice the abnormality (forgetting to cut the light shielding bag) and can load the film package again without breaking the internal mechanism of the apparatus.

Next, the lock release mechanism of a lock device having a loading section capable of moving before the apparatus tips over or falls when the cut is not conducted will be described, referring to FIG. 13 below. FIG. 13 illustrates a partial side view for partially showing the lock device based on the lock 45 a of the film loading section 45 shown in FIG. 2 and the lock 71 a.

The lock device structured by the lock 45 a of the film loading section 45 and lock 71 a of the lock member 71 is designed to release the lock when the pulling force increases due to that the user has loaded the film package, forgetting to cut the other end portion of the light shielding bag B including the seal ‘s’.

Namely, as shown in FIG. 13, the lock 45 a standing on the rear side of the film-loading section 45 has slant surfaces 45 c and 45 d, the front end (in the direction H) and rear end of which are cut off. The lock 71 a of the front end of lock member 71 includes a latch surface 71 b for latching with the slant 45 c of the tray lock 45 a when the lock member 71 comes to horizontal and a lock slant surface 71 c for latching with slant surface 45 c when locking starts.

As shown in FIG. 13, the film-loading section 45 is locked by the lock member 71 capable of swinging in the swinging directions ‘r’ and ‘r′’ centering on a rotational center 71 e. When the lock 71 a of the lock member 71 latches with the slant surface 45 a of the tray lock 45 a and the user has forgotten to cut the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B, the pulling force of the light shielding bag in the direction H by the user increases. Due to the component force for rotating the lock member 71 centering on the rotation center 71 e caused by the large pulling force, the rock member 71 rotates in the rotation direction ‘r′’ against the force given by an urging device such as a spring (not shown) in the rotation direction ‘r’. Finally, the latch with the lock 45 a is released and the film-loading section 45 moves in the direction H.

As described above, since when the user has forgotten to cut the other end portion of the light shielding bag B, the lock can be released as the user pulls out the light shielding bag before the apparatus tips over or falls, the user can easily notice the abnormality such as forgetfulness of the cut and reload the film package without breaking the internal mechanism of the apparatus.

EMBODIMENT

The present embodiment of the invention will be further described by using drawings. The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

In this embodiment, a tipping-over prevention mechanism of an image forming apparatus in the operation for pulling a light shielding bag when loading films into the same image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 has been studied. With regard to the tipping-over prevention mechanism, since holding a barrier bag with left and right hands to apply powerful force can be made difficult by shortening the length of the light shielding bag which is outside the apparatus, it becomes possible to prevent the apparatus from falling and tipping over together with a desk on which the apparatus is placed.

Firstly, the relationship between the length of the end portion and pulling force has been studied. The length of the end portion of the barrier bag extended from the apparatus is set to 50 mm, 70 mm (a part of the end portion is set to 100 mm). The both end portions of the barrier bag are pinched by both hands as shown in FIG. 6(a) and the portions near the center of the barrier bag are also held as shown in FIG. 6(b), and the pulling force is applied. When the both end portions of the barrier bag are pinched as shown in FIG. 6(a), the pulling force is slowly applied or rapidly applied. Several adult men conducted the tests and the average pulling force is obtained. Table 1 shows the test results. TABLE 1 Unit: Newton Protruding length of light shielding bag 50 mm 70 mm 100 mm Holding Mode: Pull slowly 147 235 ∞ Holding Mode: Pull rapidly 196 245 ∞ Pinching Mode: Pull slowly 225 284 ∞

Study by the inventors proved that the pick up modes of a user for picking up the end portion can be divided into the following three modes (1)-(3). Namely, (1) Pinching mode: pinching the barrier bag by the finger cushions of a thumb and a forefinger (and a middle finger). (2) Holding mode: holding the barrier bag by pressing one side with the finger cushion of a thumb (an opposite to a nail) and pressing the other side with the first joints of several fingers of nail side. (3) Gripping mode: Press one side of the barrier bag by the palm while pressing the other side by the fingertips toward the palm following the several fingers.

The user can change the modes (1), (2) and (3) based on the length of the barrier bag, and regarding generated force, the order becomes gripping mode (3)>holding mode (2)>pinching mode (1).

Namely, when the flap D4 of the positioning member D in the film package P touches the guide roller 7 o and the pulling resistance increases, the longer the length (distance) from the end of the barrier bag to the outer surface of the apparatus, the easier the mode becomes the holding mode. As a result, the user tends to apply stronger force and it results in the cause of fall or tipping over of the apparatus.

It is preferable that the surface of the barrier bag is arranged such that the surface of the barrier bag can generate a force of about 50 N in the pinching mode when the other end portion has been cut (normal operation) and the surface of the barrier bag has the surface characteristic (the friction coefficient) of starting to slides when the end portion has not been cut and load increases.

Next, the relationship between the pulling force necessary to pull a light shielding bag and the length of the end portion of the light shielding bag has been studied. The load resistance (the pulling force necessary to remove the light shielding bag) for pulling the light shielding bag has been set to 49 N, 118 N and 196 N and the length of the length from the end portion of the light shielding bag to the outer surface of the apparatus has been changed from 50 mm to 100 mm to determine whether the light shielding bag can be removed. The test results will be shown in Table 2. TABLE 2 Load resistance of pulling out (Newton) 50 mm 70 mm 100 mm 49 A A A 118 B A A 196 C B A A: Pulling out easily B: Pulling out with difficulty C: Impossible to pull out

According to the test results shown in FIG. 2, when the length of the end portion is set to 100 mm, the barrier bag can be removed even if the load resistance is large when removing the barrier bag. This means that when the end portion of the barrier bag has not been cut, there is a possibility that the barrier bag can be forcefully pulled and generate the cause of fall or tipping over.

Next, has been studied is the relationship between the weight of the apparatus and the length from the end of the light shielding bag to the center of gravity of the apparatus when the light shielding bag has not been cut and pulling force has been applied. As shown in FIG. 7, the influential factors to tipping over of the apparatus and tipping over force of the apparatus that causes the apparatus to tip over have been studied by placing the apparatus on the desktop, the apparatus weight being 60 Kg and 70 Kg, and by changing the distance to the center of gravity at 300 mm, 350 mm and 400 mm in the horizontal direction at the height from the bottom of the apparatus of 100 mm and the length of the light shielding bag at 50 mm, 70 mm and 100 mm. The test result will be shown in FIG. 3. Here, the tipping over force of the apparatus means a threshold pulling force that makes the apparatus tip over together with the desk on which the apparatus is placed. TABLE 3 Apparatus Center of tipping Devise gravity over Length Length Length weight (kg) position (mm) force (N) 50 mm 70 mm 100 mm 70 300 258 A A C 60 300 220 A B C 70 350 300 A A A 60 350 258 A A C 70 400 343 A A A 60 400 294 A A A A: Impossible to pull to the degree resulting in tipping over B: Possible to pull but not reach tipping over C: Possible to pull to the degree resulting in tipping over

According to the test results shown in Table 3, the tipping over force of the apparatus that reaches tipping over of the apparatus is the smallest when the apparatus weight is light (60 Kg) and the distance between the center of gravity (in horizontal direction) and the front of the apparatus is the shortest (300 mm). Even when the tipping over force of the apparatus is the smallest (220 N), if the pulling force becomes more than 100 N (two times comparing with the normal condition) due to the fact that the light shielding bag has not been cut, the lock of the film-loading section is released before the apparatus starts moving on the desktop on which the apparatus is placed, resulting in prevention of the apparatus from moving and tipping over. It proved that when the length of the light shielding bag is set to 50 mm, a user cannot pull the light shielding bag to the degree where the apparatus tips over regardless the relationship between the apparatus weight and the position of the center of gravity. It also proved that when the length of the end portion of the light shielding bag is set to 70 mm, and the tipping over force of the apparatus is the smallest, the user can pulls the light shielding bag, but the pulling force is not large enough to make the apparatus tip over.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the housing 40 a further includes buffer members 60 capable of damping vibration transmission and having a high friction coefficient on the four corners of the housing 40 a. It is preferable that the buffer members 60 are made of, for example, rubber having a characteristic capable of damping the transmission of low frequency vibration particularity of no higher than 25 Hz and the static friction coefficient between the buffer members and a normal desk surface is not smaller than 0.3.

According to the image forming apparatus in the present embodiment, since the buffer members 60 having high friction coefficient and having capability of damping vibration transmission are provided on the bottom of the housing 40 a, when using the image forming apparatus on the desktop, it becomes possible to damp the vibration transmission which is from outside to the inside of the image forming apparatus. Further since the force required to move the image forming apparatus becomes large due to the high friction coefficient, it becomes possible to surely prevent the image forming apparatus from moving, falling from the desktop and tipping over.

It is preferable that the image forming apparatus described above is arranged such that the developing device develops the front end portion of a sheet film while the exposing device exposes the sheet film. In such a manner, it becomes possible to minimize the size of the image forming apparatus. It is also preferable that the weight of the image forming apparatus is from 60 Kg to 70 Kg.

When the user has loaded a film package without cutting the other end portion ‘b’ of the light shielding bag B including a seal ‘s’ and tries to hold one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B, which extends from the housing 40 a, and to pull the light shielding bag B, since the light shielding bag cannot be pulled by the normal pulling force, the pulling force becomes large. However, since the length of the light shielding bag B which is outside the image forming apparatus is set to not more than 70 mm, when the loading section 45 moves to the feed-out position after the film package has been loaded so that the pulling force of the user does not become large, and further the buffer members 60 are provided on the bottom of the housing 40 a, the force required to move the image forming apparatus becomes large due to the existence of the buffer member 60 on the bottom of the housing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the lock of the film-loading section 45 (a film loading device) is released before the image forming apparatus starts moving. Even though a user having strong arm-power forcefully pulls the portion of the light shielding bag, the force does not become large enough to move the housing 40 a on the desktop or make the housing 40 a fall from the desktop.

A test has been conducted. The weight of the image forming apparatus is set to 60 Kg. The other end portion of the light shielding bag is correctly cut. The force required to remove the light shielding bag by pulling one end portion of the light shielding bag is measured. The test rests are as following. When the static friction coefficient between the buffer members 60 shown in FIG. 12 and the surface of the desktop is set between 0.3-0.5, the pulling force was 50N, and the image forming apparatus does not move. Next, when the pulling force is applied under the same condition without cutting the other end portion of the light shielding bag, the pulling force exceeds 175 N-290 N and the image forming apparatus moves on the surface of the desktop under the condition that the desk is fixed to prevent tipping over.

[A Sheet Type Recording Material Tray and a Sheet Type Image Recording Material Package Used in the Present Embodiment]

Next, a sheet type recording material trays and sheet type image recording material packages with the following configurations will be described as examples to be employed in the present embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Configuration S1

A tray for sheet type image recording material includes:

a first bottom plate shaped in a rectangle for loading sheet type image recording material;

a side-wall for regulating the position of the image recording material, the wall standing on a rim of the first bottom; and

a second bottom plate provided on the first bottom plate,

wherein the second bottom plate is arranged to have a rectangular flat surface and a flat plate member having a side wall provided on a rim of the flat surface facing toward a rear side of the flat plate, the rectangular flat surface and the flat plate member are placed on a buffer member shaped in a tray provided on a surface of the first bottom plate so that a rear surface of the flat surface faces to a front surface on the first bottom plate, and the sheet type image recording member is loaded on the front surface of the second bottom plate.

Configuration S2

The tray for the sheet type image recording of the configuration S1, wherein the distance between an edge surface of the side-wall and the front surface of the first bottom plate is preferably not more than 3 mm.

Configuration S3

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations S1-S2, the second bottom plate is preferably provided at a place being positioned lower than an edge of the side-wall for regulating the position of the image recording material preferably by 5-25 mm.

Configuration S4

With regard to the tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations S1-S3, resist pressure of the second bottom plate is preferably 100-10,000 Pa.

Configuration S5

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations S1-S4, a side-wall of the flat plate member is preferably fixed to the side-wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material.

Configuration S6

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations S1-S5, wherein the buffer member shaped in the tray further includes a circular top, a slant side-wall leaning toward outside of the circular top along a circumference of the circular top and a flange uniformly formed together with an edge of a circumference of the slant side-wall, and the buffer member is placed on a front surface of the first bottom plate.

Configuration S7

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations s1-s6, wherein the buffer member is placed preferably at least at four corners of the first bottom plate.

Configuration S8

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations s1-s7, the image recording material is preferably a paper sheet having a basis weight of preferably 100-1000 g/m², thickness of 0.4-1.0 mm and water content of 0.1-5 weight %.

Configuration s9

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations S8, the paper sheet includes preferably not less than 50% of recycle paper.

Configuration S10

The tray for the sheet type image recording material of the configurations s1-s9, the sheet type image recording material is preferably made of a thermally developed silver material.

In the each configuration of the embodiment described above, used is a configuration of an image recording material package for a sheet type.

Configuration S11

A method for loading a sheet type image recording material onto a tray includes the steps of placing the sheet type image recording material onto the tray for the sheet type image recording material and packing the sheet type image recording material into a light and moisture shielding bag having a water-vapor transmission ration is no more than 1.0 g/m²·24 h (40° C.·90% RH).

Configuration S12

The sheet type image recording package of configuration S11, the light shielding bag is sealed under a decreasing pressure condition of 20-90 kPa.

Configuration S13

The sheet type image recording material package of configurations of S11 and S12, the sheet type recording material is a thermally developed silver material.

By utilizing the tray for the sheet type image recording material and the sheet type image recording material made of thermally processed silver material, it becomes possible to provide a tray for a sheet type image recording material having a decreased number of layer, which prevents vibration in the transportation process and the occurrence of scratches associated with handling, and a sheet type image recording package. As a result, it becomes possible to use a small quantity of the image recording material without waste and to use image recording material in an imaging apparatus with peace of mind.

The tray for a sheet type image recording material and a sheet type image recording material used in the each configuration of the embodiment will be described by using FIGS. 14-21. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a package using a conventional tray.

In FIG. 14, 1 a denotes a package. Numeral 4 denotes a light and moisture shielding bag for packaging a tray 2 onto which an image recording material 3 is loaded. 100-150 peaces of image recording material (paper sheets) are normally layered. 202-205 denote side walls for regulating the position of image recording material, being provided along the edge of a rectangular bottom plate 201 of the tray 2. The bottom plate 201 is manufactured corresponding to the shape and size of the image recording material 3.

401 and 402 denote the side seals of the light and moisture shielding bag 4, and 403 denotes a center seal of the light and moisture shielding bag 4. 404 denotes a hole through which the light and moisture shielding bag 4 latched with a latch (not shown) of the image forming apparatus is pulled after being loaded in the image forming apparatus (not shown). The light and moisture shielding bag 4 shown in FIGS. 14-15, are manufactured by a center seal method, and the package 1 a is designed to be loaded in an outer box (not shown) and used by a user.

As shown in FIGS. 14-15, since there is much number of the image recording material loaded in the tray as 100-150 sheets, in case that the usage of the image recording material per day is low, the image recording material are set in the state that they are taken out from the light and moisture shielding bag 4 for several months. In this case, when it is winter, when the humidity and temperature are low, the characteristic change of the image recording material is low. However, in the summer time when the humidity and temperature are high, since there is a possibility that the characteristic change of the image recording material proceeds, the image recording material has to be wasted, which results in high cost. In the present embodiment described above, used are the image recording material package preventing the vibration in the transportation process and scratches caused by the handling without changing the style of the tray, the tray and the sheet type image recording package in which decreasing the number of sheets are placed.

FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic diagram of the package in which the tray to be used in the present embodiment described above is applied.

In FIG. 15, 1 b denotes a package. Symbol 5 denotes a tray for loading image forming material 3. The tray 5 includes a main body 501 (refer to FIG. 16) and a flat plate member 6 forming a second bottom plate 507 placed on the buffer member 7 shaped in a tray type placed on a first bottom plate 502 of the main body 501 (refer to FIG. 16). The main body 501 includes a first bottom plate formed in a rectangular shape and side-walls 502-506 for regulating the sheet type image recording material provided on a rectangular rim of the first bottom plate 502.

The first bottom plate 502 is designed so that the size of the first bottom plate 502 and the size of the image recording material is the same size. The height of the side walls 503-506 for regulating the image recording material is designed to have the same height of the side walls 202-0205 shown in FIG. 14. The size of the first bottom plate 502 is also designed to have the same size of the bottom plate 201 of the tray 2.

Flat plate member 6 includes a flat surface 601 and side walls 604 a-604 d provided on the circumference of the flat surface 601 which forms the second bottom plate 507, toward the rear side of the flat surface 601. The plat plate member 6 is fixed on the tray 5 by fixing the side walls 604 a-604 d (refer to FIG. 16) onto the side wall 503-506 for regulating the image recording material. Symbol 507 denotes a second bottom plate of the tray 5 formed by the flat surface 601 of the flat plate member 6. With regard to the flat plate 6, it will be described by using FIG. 16 and FIGS. 19-21. Other codes are the same meaning as shown in FIG. 15.

When manufacturing the package 1 b shown in FIG. 15, it is preferable to store the image recording material 3 in the state that the image recording material 3 is placed on the tray shown in FIG. 16 and seal it while exhausting air, keeping the air pressure at 20-90 kPa and taking account of the prevention of scratches caused by the movement of the image recording material on the tray in the transportation, the adherence of layered image recording material, the peeling of the photo-sensitive layer caused by the abrasion between the side wall of the tray and the image recording material and the conveyance performance when loaded in the image forming apparatus.

It is preferable that the water-vapor transmission ration of the light and moisture shielding bag of the embodiment described above is not more than 1.0 g/m²·24 h (40° C.·90% RH), more preferably not less than 0-0.5 g/m²·24 h (40° C.·90% RH) by taking account of the maintenance of the characteristic of the image recording material in the storage. Here, the water-vapor transmission ration is measured based on the measurement described in JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) K7129-1992.

FIG. 16 illustrates an exploded schematic diagram of the tray in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 15.

In FIG. 16, numeral 7 denotes the buffer member placed in the space formed by the rear surfaces of the first bottom plate 502 and the second bottom plate 507. The tray 5 includes a main body 501, a flat plate member 6 and the buffer member 7 having a tray shape. 508 a-508 d denotes corners of the first bottom plate 502. It is preferable that the corners 508 a-508 d are shaped in round or cut off to prevent the corners 508 a-508 d from making holes when inserting the tray into the light and moisture shielding bag. Numeral 509 denotes a hole provided on the first bottom plate 502 for detecting the sheet type image forming material. It is preferable that the position of the hole 509 is the same position of the hole arranged on the upper surface (flat surface) 601, which is going to be a second bottom plate when the tray 5 is formed, of the plate member 6.

602 a (602 b) denotes a hole provided on the flat surface 601 of the flat palate member 6 for detecting the sheet type image forming material. Hole 602 a (602 b) is a device for having an image forming apparatus (not shown) notices that the storage device (not shown) of the sheet type image forming material of the image forming apparatus becomes empty. The position where the hole 602 a (602 b) is provided is the same position of the sensor for detecting that the sheet type image forming material becomes zero and the same position of the sucking board (not shown) for supplying the sheet type image forming material to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type image forming material loaded on the second bottom plate 507 becomes zero, since the sucking pressure does not become low because the sucking board sucks the hole 602 a (602 b) for supplying the sheet type image forming material to the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus can notice that the image forming material becomes zero. It is also possible to have a sensor for detecting that the sheet type image forming material of the image forming apparatus becomes zero.

It is preferable that the number of holes of detectors is the same number of sensor for detecting that the sheet type of image forming material of the image forming apparatus becomes zero and the same number of the sucking board (not shown) for supplying the sheet type image forming material to the image forming apparatus. It is also preferable that the size of the hole is larger than the size of sucking board.

It is possible to produce the flat plate member 6 from a material having a flat surface being the same size as the first bottom plate 502 and an area for forming side walls by standing up the side walls from the rear side of the material. 604 a-604 d denote a formed side walls, 601 denotes a flat surface (when assembled it becomes the second bottom plate) of the flat plate member 6 and 603 denotes a rear surface. 605 a-605 d denotes corners and which are shaped in round or cut off so that the corners 605 a-605 d do not extend from corners 508 a-508 d of the first bottom plate 502. The heights of the side walls 604 a-604 d are arranged to be the same. In FIG. 16, the flat plate member 6 is integrally formed with the flat surface 601 a and side walls 604 a-604 d. However, it is also possible to produce the side walls 604 a-604 d first, then the flat surface 601 can be separately fixed on the side walls 604 a-604 d.

The flat plate member 6 is placed on the buffer member 7 having a tray shape placed on the first bottom plate 502 so that the flat surface 601 is facing upward. In this case, the side walls 604 a-604 d are firmly fixed to the walls 506-506 for regulating sheet type image forming material through bonding agent. By fixing the side walls 604 a-604 d through this way, the front surface 601 of the flat plate member 6 forms the second bottom plate 502.

With regard to the buffer member 7 having a tray shape, there are two types. One is a tray style buffer member 7 a having a top shaped in a disk style, and the other is a tray style buffer member 7 b having a top shaped in a ring structure. The tray style buffer member 7 a includes a disk shaped top 7 a 1, slant side wall 7 a 2 which is integrally slant toward outside from the circumference and a flange 7 a 3 integrally provided at the circumference edge of the slant side wall 7 a 2.

The tray style buffer member 7 b includes a ring style top 7 b 1, a slant side wall 7 b 2 integrally provided in slant toward the outside of the circumference and a flange 7 b 3 integrally provided at the circumference edge of the tray style buffering wall 7 b 2. The number of the tray style buffer member 7 a or 7 b provide on the first bottom plate 502 can be changed based on the required pressure resistance of the tray. The method for placing the tray style buffer member 7 a or 7 b onto the first bottom plate 502 will be described below by using FIG. 16.

The main body 501 of the tray 5 shown in FIG. 16, flat plate member 6 and tray style buffer member 7 are made of paper. When selecting the paper to be used, it is preferable that following factors such as countermeasure for environment, strength in transportation, workability for formation, stability of style, inferences to image forming material, manufacturing cost and productivity are to be taken account. It is preferable that the basis weight is 100-1000 g/m², thickness is 0.4-1.0 mm, moisture content is 0.1-6 weight % and the paper to be used includes recycle paper not less than 50 weight %. The measurement of the basis weight is measured based on Japanese Industry Standard P8118 (1998). The test result of the thickness is measured by a micro-gage (Mitsutoyo-Kiko Co., Ltd) after drying a paperboard at 40° C. for two hours. The test result of the moisture content is obtained by the measurement based on JIS (Japanese Patent Standard) P8127.

With regard to the most preferable paper material, recommended are an intermediate recycle paper layer made of recycle pulp by taking account of strength, hardness for becoming paper powder, formidability and countermeasure for environment, and a paperboard which is made of the intermediate recycle paper having a most outer side layer of fine paper including the coat layer of clay or kaolin thereon in both side of the intermediate recycle paper.

The pressure resistance of the second bottom plate 507 of tray 5 is preferably 100-10,000 Pa by taking account of that the image recording material on an production line is layered, the strength when accumulating in the layer after packing the image recording material into light and moisture shielding bag and the strength when transporting the packages. The pressure resistance is a measured value obtained by measuring the weight which the flat plate member can bear when loading the image recording material or substitution for the image recording material having an area of 90-100% of the area of the second bottom plate of the tray onto the flat plate member.

The breaking strength is preferably 1.2-4.5 kPa, further preferably 1.8-3.5 kPa and the most preferably 2.5-3.0 kPa by taking account of the self-reliance capability of the walls for regulating image recording material of the main body of the tray, stability of the flat plate member, operability of inserting the tray into the light and moisture shielding bag and protection capability of the light and moisture shielding bag. The breaking strength is measured based on the JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) P8115.

It is possible to produce the tray shown in FIG. 16 by applying following steps. 1) cutting the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the main body of the tray. With regard to the way to cut the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the main body of the tray, it is preferable to punch the sheet of paper board by a Thomson blade type punching blade at a time. 2) After punching, creasing at a portion where the side wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material is formed by a normal temperature creasing method. 3) Assembling the main body of the tray by standing the side wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material along the crease. 4) Cutting the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the flat plate member as shown in FIG. 16. With regard to the way cut the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the flat plate member, it is preferable to punch the sheet of paper board by a Thomson blade type punching blade at a time. 5) After punching, creasing at a portion where the side wall is formed by a normal temperature creasing method. 6) Assembling the flat plate member by standing the each side wall on the circumference of the rear surface of the flat plate member along the crease. 7) Placing the tray type buffer member at lease four corners of the first bottom plate of the assembled main body of the tray so that the disk type buffer member is placed inside the first bottom plate. At that time, it is preferable that a part of the flange of the disk type buffer member is adhesively fixed onto the first bottom plate. 8) Placing the flat plate member which has been produced onto the disk type buffer member placed on the main body of the tray so that the upper surface faces upward, and then fixing the side wall of the flat plate member and the side wall for regulating the image recording material by adhesive agent. It is possible to manufacture the tray shown in FIG. 16 through the steps of 1)-8) described above.

FIG. 17 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view along the line A-A′ of FIG. 16. FIG. 17(a) illustrates a schematic cross sectional and magnified view along the line A-A′ of FIG. 16. FIG. 17(b) illustrates a schematic cross sectional and magnified view pointed by S in FIG. 17(a).

In FIG. 17, H denotes the height from the front edge of the side wall 503 for regulating the sheet type image recording material to the second bottom plate 507 (the front surface 601 of the flat plate member 6). The height H is set preferably 5-25 mm by taking account of the number of sheet of image recording material loaded on the second bottom plate 507, the frequency of changes of the tray and the consuming term of the image recording material left on the tray.

Symbol I denotes the distance between the edge surface 604 c 1 of the side wall 604 c of the flat plate member 6 and the front surface 502 a 1 of the first bottom plate 502. The distance I is preferably set not larger than 3 mm, more preferably 0.1-3 mm by taking account of the maintenance of the function of the disk type buffer member and the maintenance of the pressure resistance of the second bottom plate.

As shown in FIG. 17, the flat plate member 6 is placed on the top of the disk type buffer member 7 a (7 b) so that the position of the hole for detecting the sheet type image forming material 602 a (602 b) and the hole for detecting the sheet type image forming material 509 aa (509 b) is in agreement, the flat surface 601 faces upward and the top of the disk type buffer member 7 a (7 b) contacts the rear surface 603. The second bottom plate 507 is formed so that the inside of the side wall 503 for regulating the position of the sheet type image recording material is adhered to the side wall 604 c (604 d) by the adhesive agent, and the distance between the edge surface of the side wall and the front surface of the first bottom plate is kept in not larger than 3 mm. The disk type buffer member 7 b has to be placed on the hole 509 a (509 b) provided on the first bottom plate 502 for detecting the sheet type image forming material to allow an image forming apparatus (not shown) to notice that a storing container for storing the sheet type image forming material of the image forming apparatus becomes empty. Other symbols are the same as the symbols in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 illustrates a magnified schematic diagram of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 18(a) illustrate magnified schematic diagrams of the cross sectional view along the line B-B′ of FIG. 16. FIG. 18(b) illustrate magnified schematic diagrams of the cross sectional view along the line C-C′ of FIG. 16.

The disk type top of the disk type buffer member 7 a includes a flat portion 7 a 11 adjacent to the circumference, a first slant portion 7 a 12 connecting to the flat portion 7 a 11 and a second slat portion 7 a 13 connecting to the first slant portion 7 a 12 and reaching to a center 7 a 14. The angle made by the first slant portion 7 a 12 and the flat portion 7 a 11 is preferably set at 15-34°. The angle made by the second slant 7 a 13 and the flat portion 7 a 11 is preferably set at 2-8° by taking account the strength of the disk type buffer member. A connecting portion 7 a 15 from the flat portion 7 a 11 to a slant side wall 7 a 2 has preferably R1-R5. The angle made by the slant side wall 7 a 2 provided around the circumference of the disc type top 7 a 1 and the flat portion 7 a 11 is set preferably at 10-30°. It is preferable that deep drawing is applied to the circumference of the slant side wall 7 a 2 in order to improve the strength of the circumference of the slant side wall 7 a 2.

A ring 7 a 3 includes a slat 7 a 32 provided around the slant side wall-7 a 2 through a connecting potion 7 a 31 having R 1-R3. The angle made by the slant 7 a 32 and flat portion 7 a 11 preferably 2-8° by taking account of bending strength. A circumference vicinity portion 7 a 33 of the slant 7 a 32 is bent with R 0.5-R 2.0.

A ring type top 7 b 1 of the disk type buffer member 7 b includes the flat portion 7 b 11, the slant 7 b 12 which is connecting the first flat portion 7 b 11 and the second flat portion 7 b 13 which connects to the slant 7 b 12, and the ring portion 71 b does not have a center portion. The angle made by the slant 7 b 12 and the first flat portion 7 b 11 is set at 2-8° by taking account of the strength of the disk type buffer member. The shapes of the slant side wall 7 b 2 provided around the ring type top 71 b and the flange 7 b 3 provided the circumference of the side wall 7 b 2 are the same shape as the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18(a).

The disk type buffer member shown in FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) can be produced by the method disclosed on pages 803-809 in the Tech Times version of The newest paper producing handbook. The other disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18(b) can be produced by the same method as the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18(a) by using blanks which has been punched in a ring shape. It is also possible to punch the center portion of the disk top 71 a after manufacturing the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18(a).

FIG. 19 illustrates a plan view of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 19(a) illustrates a plan view of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18 (a). FIG. 19(b) illustrates a plan view of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18 (b).

In the case of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 19(a), U denotes a diameter of the flange 7 a 3 of the disk type buffer member, which includes the slant 7 a 32 and the circumference vicinity portion 7 a 33, and V denotes the diameter of the disk type top 7 a 1. W denotes the width of the flat portion 7 a 11 provided around the disk type top 7 a 1. X denotes the width of the slant 7 a 32 of the flange 7 a 3.

The ratio between the diameter V of the disk top 7 a 1 and the diameter U of the flange 7 a 3 of the disk type buffer member, which includes the slant 7 a 32 and the circumference vicinity portion 7 a 33, is preferably 1 to 0.5-1 to 0.9 by taking account of the strength of the disk type buffer member. The width of the flat portion 7 a 11 is preferably set at 3-15% against the diameter of the disk type top 7 a 1. The width X of the slant 7 a 32 is preferably set at 10-30% against the diameter U of the flange 7 a 3 by taking account of the flexural rigidity (the difficulty of the buckling).

In the case of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 19(b), Y denotes the internal diameter of the ring top 7 b 1. The internal diameter Y is preferably the same diameter as the hole 509 a (509 b) (refer to FIG. 16) provided on the first bottom plate 502 (refer to FIG. 16) for detecting the sheet type image forming material. Other sizes are the same as the disk type buffer member 7 a shown in FIG. 19(a).

FIG. 20 illustrates a schematic perspective view of an example of the disk type buffer member placed on the first bottom plate of the tray.

With regard to the disk type buffer member 7 b shown in FIG. 20, the center of the hole 509 a (509 b) provided on the first bottom plate 502 for detecting the sheet type image forming material has to be in agreement with the center of the ring top 71 b of the disk type buffer member. The disk type buffer member 7 a is preferably placed in the same distance to each other according to the size of the first bottom plate 502 of the tray 5. The positions on the first bottom plate where the disk type buffer members are place are at least four corners of the first bottom plate 502. The number of the tray to be placed depends on the size of the disk type buffer member. The number of the tray to be placed can be changed corresponding to the necessary pressure resistance. With regard to the preferable placement of the tray, the percentage of disk type in the area of the first bottom plate 502 is preferably 30-60% by taking account of the pressure resistance of the second bottom plate. The size of the disk type buffer member is necessary to be selected according to the number of the disk type buffer member to be placed. For example, when the area of the first bottom plate is 35.4 cm×43.0 cm and the diameter of the flange U is 8.2 cm, the displacement is preferably as shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 21 illustrates a block diagram of the flat plate member having the other type. FIG. 21(a) illustrates a schematic diagram of the flat plate member having the other type. FIG. 21(b) illustrates a schematic cross sectional view along the line D-D′ in FIG. 21 (a).

In FIGS. 21 (a) and 21(b), Ga denotes a flat plate member. 606 a-606 d denotes bending portions to be bent so that the bended portions 606 a-606 d are parallel to the rear surface to the flat surface 601. The flat plate member 6 a is arranged to be able to fix the each bending portions 606 a-606 d on the bottom plate 502, when placing the flat plate 6 a onto the bottom plate 502 (refer to FIG. 16) of the main body 501 (refer to the FIG. 16) of the tray 5. At the same time, the outside of the each side walls 604 a-604 d may be fixed onto the inside of the side walls for regulating the position of the sheet type image recording material of the main body 501 of the tray 5 (refer to FIG. 16). Other symbols used here are the same meaning as the FIG. 16.

The flat plate member shown in FIG. 21 will be produced by the following steps. It is possible to produce the tray shown in FIG. 16 by applying following steps. 1) cutting the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the flat plate member. With regard to the way to cut the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the main body of the tray, it is preferable to punch the sheet of paper board by a Thomson blade type punching blade at a time. 2) After punching, crease at a portion where the each side wall and each bending portion are formed by a normal temperature creasing method. 3) Standing the side wall from the circumference of the rear surface of the plat plate member along the crease. 4) Forming a bending portion by folding the side wall along the crease. It is possible to assemble the flat plate member having a bending portion shown in FIGS. 21 (a) and 21(b) through the steps described 1)-4). When manufacturing the tray shown in FIG. 16 by using the flat plate member show in FIG. 21(a), it is possible to fix the side walls of the flat plate member onto the side walls of the main body for regulating the sheet type image recording material by applying the adhesive agent on the bending portion in the state that the first bottom plate of the main body is arrange to oppose the rear surface of the flat plate member.

The number of sheets of the image recording material to be loaded on the tray which uses the disk type buffer member shown in FIGS. 15-21 is preferably from 10 to 90 sheets, further preferably from 25 to 70 sheet by taking account of the usage of the sheet per day and the characteristic change of the image recording material when left.

It becomes possible to decrease the image recording material to be loaded on the tray and the days placed in the state where the image forming material is taken out from the light and moisture shielding bag 4 in the photographic apparatus, even though the usage of the image forming material is small by using the tray using the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 15-21. As a result, even in a summer time when the humidity and temperature are high, the disposal of the image forming material can be reduced, which results in comfortable use and low cost operation.

Following is the list of preferable adhesive agent when fixing the flat plate member to the side wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material position of the main body of the tray, fixing the disk type buffer member to the first bottom plate and fixing the side wall of the flat plate member to the side walls of the other flat palate member. For example, Daicel Finechem Ltd: Sebian 3502, Sebian A, MY 7951, Sebian A 22046, Sebian A 4786. NICHEI-KAKO Co,. Ltd: LIFE BOND AV-840M, LIFE BOND AP-6710. Konishi Co,. Ltd: LIFE BOND SP95, BOND CN140, CN1, CN165, MP 435, MP 1311, MP 973, MH 510. Yasuhara Chemical Co,. Ltd: Hirodain 7521. Nitta Gelatin Inc: Nittaito HC-126. NIHON UNIPOLYMER Co,. Ltd: UH370. SUMITOMO 3M Ltd: 1BF560. Among these examples, following are preferable adhesive agents. Konishi Co,. Ltd: MP 435, MP 1311, MP 973, MH 510. Yasuhara Chemical Co,. Ltd: Hirodain 7521. Nitta Gelatin Inc: Nittaito HC-126.

The main raw material of the paper board is preferably pulps of wood by taking account of the recycle after usage. With regard to the wood pulp, the wood pulp described on pages 109-268 of “Pulp and Paper” from MARUZEN Co Ltd and on pages 180-187 of “Paper manufacturing engineering” from Kougakutosho Ltd may be appropriate. For example, needle-leave conifer pulp, broad-leaved tree pulp, mixed natural pulp of needle-leave trees and broad-leaved trees are used. Depending on the process, any one of mechanical pulp, chemical pulp, chemiground pulp, chemimechanical pulp or sulfite pulp may be used. It is also possible to use the pulp disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public No. H2-48372, H2-53999, H2-96741, H2-96742, H2-99689, H2-99693 or H2-180583.

In these pulps, chemical pulps having little impurities (sulfate pulp and sulfite pulp) are preferably used and the pulp to which bleaching process has been applied to improve the whiteness degree is also useful. It is appropriately add higher fatty acid, sizing agent such as alkylketene dimmer, calcium carbonate, talc, white pigment such as titanium oxide, starch, polyacrylamide, durability of paper promoter such as polyvinyl alcohol, fluorescent whitening agent, water hold-back agent such as polyethylene glycol, dispersing agent, softening agent such as fourth class ammonium.

After beating pulps to be used in the paper board, the sum of the weight percentage of 24 mesh residue and the weight percentage of 42 mesh residue defined in JIS (Japanese Industry Standard)-P-8207 is preferably 30-70%. Meanwhile, the weigh of 4 mesh residue is preferably not more than 20 weight %.

Highly flatness can be achieved by applying a calendar process in the process of papermaking or after papermaking. The density of paper board is preferably 0.7-1.2 g/m² when measured under the condition defined by JIS (Japanese Industry Standard)-P-8118. Further, the paper board stiffness is preferably 20-200 g when measured under the condition defined by JIS (Japanese Industry Standard)-P-8143. The pH of the paper board is preferably 5-9 when measured by the hot water extraction method defined by JIS (Japanese Industry Standard)-P-8113.

With regard to the paper board used in the present embodiment, white paper board is preferable. Manila board and white ball are listed as the white paper board. The paper board to be used for the tray of the present embodiment described above is preferably into a paper board having a waterproof coat layer thereon disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 2004-70759.

The light and moisture shielding bag used in the embodiments described above includes a thermofusion layer as a lowest layer and made of a multi-layered having a light shielding function and moisture shielding function. As a material for the bag, single material will be acceptable. However, in order to improve functions, the multi-layered material which includes various different materials for improving functionality is preferable. Known are a method for pushing out various thermoplastic resins at a time (inflation method), and a method for gluing various materials by adhesive agent to produce multi-layered material (dray lamination) as methods for layering each material. When higher functionality is required, the multi-layered material by the dray lamination method in these methods is preferable.

With regard to the method for producing multi-layered material, it is possible to produce the multi-layered material by using conventional methods such as methods disclosed on pages 48-51 of New expansion for functional packaging material, Tory Research Center Co,. Ltd and 1990-1, 1990-4, 1990-11, 1991-11 and 1993-3 of Convertech.

With regard to the layered configuration of the multi-layered material, the multi-layered material is configured by a surface layer for an appearance and printing surface as a top surface, a middle layer having a moisture shielding and light shielding functions and bottom layer having a thermal adhesive function, and the middle layer can be multiply layered according to the requirement. For example, two layers can be provided, one layer for shielding moisture and the other for shielding lights. It is also possible to allow the lower layer to have function for shielding lights. With regard to the material to be used for the surface layer, there is no limitation for the material, and it may be the same material to be used for the middle layer. With regard to material to be used for each layer of the multi-layer material, used can be low density polyethylene (LDPE) being polymer film material, high density polyethylene (HDPE), linea low density polyethylene (LLDPE), middle density polyethylene, Casted polypropylene (CPP), Oriented polypropylene (OPP), Oriented Nylon (ONy), Nylon (Ny), PET, Cellophane, PVA, Oriented vinylon (OV), EVOH and Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). With regard to these material described above, used are also the multi-layer material made by a pushing out method together with different polymer film material based on the necessity, and the multi-layer material adhesively produced by changing the rolling angle. It is also possible to combine the density and molecular weight distribution of the polymer film material used to obtain the material for light and moisture shielding bag for further necessity.

With regard to the polymer film material to be used for the multi-layer material low layer, LDPE and LLDPE produced by using metallocene catalyser can be listed. LDPE and LLDPE produced by general manufacturing method may be mixed into these polymer film material. The LDPE and LLDPE manufactured by using the metallocene catalyser can be fully used if they are sold in a general market place. For example, listed are YUMERITE (trade name) made by Ube Industries Ltd, AFFINITY, Elite made by Dow Chemical Japan, HarmlexLL made by Nippon polyolefin Co Ltd, kernel 57L made by Japan Polychem Corporation, Evolue made by Mitsui Chemical Co Ltd, Lamilon Super made by Sekisui west Japan Co Ltd, SE series made by Tamapoly, Tohcello T.U.X-FCS and T.U.X-TCS made by Tohcello, TAIKO FL made by FUTAMURA Chemical Industry, Metharoace made by Mitsubishi Kagaku Kojin Pacs. WMX made in WADA Kagaku kogyo Co Ltd and FV202 made by Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd.

It is preferable that lubricant is added to the lower layer of multi-layer material to improve slipping characteristic of the sheet type thermally developed photo-sensitive material and a tray shaped protective member. With regard to the lubricant, listed cab be metallic soap (such as zinc stearate and calcium stearate), fatty acid amid and higher fatty acid, but not limited to these. The quantity of these lubricants against the weight of the lower layer, is preferably not less than 500 ppm, further preferably not less than 5000 ppm from the point of slipping characteristic. Meanwhile, from the cost point of view, it is preferably not more than 20000 ppm, further preferably not more than 10000 ppm.

In order to obtain the light shielding characteristic which is required for the light and moisture shielding bag in the embodiment described above, it is attained by including light shielding material disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Open to Public Inspection Nos. S63-85539, S64-82935, H1-209134, H1-94341, H2-165140 and H2-221956. The light shielding layer may be provided in any layer of the multi-layer configuration. However, it is preferable that the light shielding layer is provided in the thermal melting layer. It is also preferable that light shielding layer is provided in the layer, the main ingredient of which is polyethylene, however it is not limited to this. With regard to light shielding material to be added in the light shielding layer, the material including carbon black is preferable from the light shielding characteristic and cost points of view. The carbon black may be made any one of manufacturing methods such as a furnace method, a channel method, an acetylene method and thermal method. Typical examples of the carbon black are MA-600, #650B, #41, #3150, #3250, #3750, #3950, MA-100 made by Mistubisi Chemical Corporation, VULCAN, XC-72R, BLAC Peals 700, VULCAN-P, Kechen Black EC made by Lion Akzo Co Ltd and Asahi-HS-500 made by Asahi Carbon Co Ltd. The carbon-black which specifies the contents of sulfur disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Open to Public Inspection Nos. H4-121733, H3-179342 and H5-88299 will be acceptable. The contents of carbon black is preferably not less than 1.5 wt % from light shielding point of view when the thickness of the light shielding is not less than 50 μm and not more than 7.5 wt % from productivity and cost points of view.

In order to make water-vapor transmission degree of the light and moisture shielding bag to be not more than 1.0 g/m²·24 Hour, 40° C. 90% RH, the moisture shielding material for the middle layer is disclosed in the following patent applications. Japanese Patent Applications Open to Public Inspection Nos. H8-254793, H8-171177, H8-122980, H6-250343, H6-122469, H6-95302, H1-93348, H1-251031, H2-186338, H1-267031, H2-235048, H2-278256, S60-151045, S60-189438, S61-54934, S63-30842, S63-247033, S63-272668, S63-283936, S63-193144, S63-183839, S64-16641, S64-77532, Japanese Utility model Applications Open to Public Inspection Nos. H1-152336, H2-21645 and H2-44738.

The middle layer may include oxygen absorbing material for protecting the contents from harmful gas, the oxygen absorbing material being disclosed in Japanese Patent Application open to Public Inspection No. H2-56547, resin in which formaldehyde scavenger is mixed being disclosed in H8-41288, cyanogen-gas scavenger disclosed in H4-9047, H3-236050 and H2-244136 and molecular sieve zeolite particle disclosed in H9-152683.

With regard to the image recording material related to the embodiments described above, the image recording material is not limited to a special material. For, example, it may be an X-Ray film needed for a wet developing process and a thermally developed photosensitive material needed for thermal developing process. With regard to the thermally developed photosensitive material related to the embodiment described above, following material may be listed. The thermally developed photosensitive film disclosed in the Japanese Patent Applications Open to Public Inspection Nos. 2002-122959, 2002-107870, 2002-90938, 2002-82416, 2002-82412, 2002-72413, 2002-72407 and 2002-62620 or the same may be used. At least a photosensitive layer is provided and an anti-halation layer (AH layer) under the photosensitive layer (between a supporting member and the photosensitive layer) and a protective layer on the photosensitive material are painted. Further, a backing layer (a BC layer) and the protective layer thereon are provided on the other side where there is a photosensitive layer against the supporting member. Silver halide, organic silver salt, reducing agent and binder (polymer binder) are included in the photosensitive layer. Dye having a high absorption efficiency for the photosensitive wavelength, the dye being hard to be left are added in the binder of the AH layer and BC layer to prevent the degradation caused by irregular reflection and interference pattern at the boundary surface of the configuration layer of the sheet type thermally photosensitive developing material. The binder of the AH layer, the BC layer and the protective layer may be a raw material being the same or different material as the photosensitive layer. There is a case that the AH layer is not provided when dye is used as the BC layer.

The photosensitive silver halide used to the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material of the embodiment described above can be produced by arbitrary and known method in the photographic technologies such as a single jetting method or a double jetting method, for example, ammonia method emulsion, neutral method or acidity method. The particle size of the silver halide is preferably small in order to obtain a fine image. Because smaller sized particle improves the granularity and resolution of the image. However, since sensitivity becomes low, crystal form to be easily hipersentized is preferable by the spectral sensitization and chemical sensitization.

It is preferable that transition metal, particularly chemical compound of from fourth period to the sixth period belonging to from 6-group to 10-group in the element periodic table is doped in the photosensitive silver halide for imminence disobedience, gradation adjustment, sensitivity, fog and shelf life. In the concrete, ions such as Rh, Ru, Re, Ir, Os and Fe are preferable.

It is preferable that the protective layer on the photosensitivity layer and the BC layer includes mat agent which may be either organic substance or in organic substance. For example, with regard to the inorganic substance, silica and glass powder may be used as the mat agent. With regard to organic substance, organic mat agent such as polystyrene (PSt) or Polymethylmethaclylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (pc) may be used. The shape of mat agent may be either a fixed form or formlessness. However, preferably the shape of mat agent is a fixed form, and a spherical form is preferably used. It is preferable that the particle diameter of the mat agent is 0.5 μm-10 μm, further preferably 1.0 μm-8.0 μm. As the diameter of the mat agent becomes smaller than the range, troubles such as stickiness and adherences are tend to occur, and as the mat agent becomes larger than the range, haziness increases and transparency decreases.

With regard to the supporting member, paper, synthetic paper, nonwoven fabric, metallic foil, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic film such as polycarbonate (PC), and Polypropylene (PP) may be used as the supporting member. It is also possible to use complex sheet in which these substances are combined.

A tray for the sheet type image recording material and a package for the sheet type image recording material in the embodiments described above will be described by referring to plural examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

A tray has been manufactured based on the method described below.

(Preparation of Paper Board)

Prepare the main body of a tray, a flat plate member and a white paper board having the basis weight shown in Table 4 and various thickness of white paper board having a leafed tree bleached craft pulp as a raw material, the white paper board being given Nos. from a to m. With regard to the white paper board, the middle layer is made of 100% recycle paper, paper made of virgin pulp is used in upper and lower layers and the surface of the white paper board is coated by clay. The water content is 8±1% based on the measurement according to JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) P8127. The measurement of the basis weight is based on JIS P8118 (1998). The thickness is measured by a micro gage made by Mitsutoyo Co Ltd after drying the paper board in a chamber at 40° C. for 2 hours. The water content is measured based on JIS P8127. TABLE 4 Paper Basis board weight Thickness No. (g/m²) (mm) a 90 0.5 b 100 0.5 c 400 0.5 d 700 0.5 e 900 0.5 f 1000 0.5 g 1100 0.5 h 600 0.3 i 600 0.4 j 600 0.6 k 600 0.8 l 600 1.0 m 600 1.1 [Preparation of the Main Body of the Tray]

Assemble the main body of the tray shown in FIG. 16(a) and by using the paper boards a-m, which have been prepared, and name them from 1-a to 1-m respectively. After punching the sheet of paper board according to the expansion plan of the main body of the tray, crease is performed at a portion where the side wall is formed by a normal temperature creasing method. After creasing, assemble the main body of the tray by folding the side wall along the crease by using a thermal press testing machine (pressure is 1 Mpa). The size of the main body of the tray is arranged to load Konica Minolta Medical Film SD-P (size: 35 cm×43 cm) made by Konica Minolta MG Co Ltd.

[Preparation of Disk Type Buffer Member]

The tray type buffer members shown in FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) have been prepared by using prepared paper boards a-m. The height of the disk type buffer member shown in FIG. 18(a) was arranged so the position of the front surface of the second bottom plate is lower than the side wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material position by 14 mm. The diameter of the flange of the disk type buffer member was arranged so that three disk type buffer members in the length direction and four disk type buffer members in the width direction can be placed in the area (the length direction: 35 cm, the width direction: 43 cm) of the second bottom plate. The diameter of the disk type top was 68% of the diameter of the flange. The width of the flat portion of the disk top was arranged to be 10.7% against the diameter of the disk top. The width of the slant portion of the flange was arranged to be 5.3% of the diameter of the flange.

The internal diameter of the ring shaped top of the disk type buffer member was arranged to have the same diameter of the hole provided in the first bottom plate.

[Preparation of a Flat Plate Member]

The flat plate member shown in FIG. 16 has been prepared by using prepared paper boards a-m. The height of the side wall is arranged so that the second bottom plate formed by the upper surface (flat surface) of the flat plate member is lower than the edge of the side wall for regulating the sheet type image recording material position by 14 mm. The flat plate is made by the same method for assembling the main body of the tray.

[Adjustment of the Moisture of the Main Body of the Tray, the Disk Type Buffer Member and the Flat Plate Member]

The adjustment of the moisture of the main body of the tray, the disk type buffer member and the flat plate member is done under the condition of temperature 23° C. and relative humidity 20% RH. The water content of the disk type buffer member and the flat plate member is adjusted 4-5%.

[Assembly of the Tray]

Fix the prepared disk type buffer member and the flat plate onto the bottom of the prepared main bodies of the trays 1-a˜1-m by hot melt adhesive agent (Konishi Co Ltd: MP973) and named them respectively 1-A˜1-M. As shown in FIG. 17, the distance between the edge of the flat plate and the front surface of the first bottom plate is set 2 mm. The number of the disk type buffer member is 12 and the disk type buffer members are placed on the first bottom plate as shown in FIG. 20. In this case, the pressure resistance strength was 6500 Pa. The pressure resistance strength is a measured value of weight which the flat plate can bear when loading the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material having an area of 90-100% area of the second bottom plate of the tray.

[Assembly of Light and Moisture Shielding Bag]

The light and moisture shielding bag having center shield style was assembled by, from upper side, a surface coat (2 μm)/nylon-6 (15 μm)/aluminum foil (7 μm)/LDPE (12 μm)/black LLDPE (50 μm) being multi layer configuration material. The water-vapor transmission ratio was 0.01 g/m²·day based on the measurement described in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) K7129-1992.

[Assembly of Package]

Following steps has made testing samples 101-113. Stacking 52 sheets of the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material (Konica Minolta MG Co Ltd: KONICA MINOLTA Medial Film SD-P) and storing them into the light and moisture shielding bag under the condition of temperature: 23° C., relative humidity: 48%. Then, the light and moisture shielding bag was sealed under the reduced pressure condition of 36 kPa by Kashiwagi-method vacuum sealing machine while degassing.

[Evaluation]

The easiness of formation of the assembled main body of the tray, the disk type buffer member and the flat plate member were evaluated and the vibration test, vibrational acceleration 0.8 G, amplitude 3 mm for 2 hours, was applied to the assembled main body of the tray, the disk type buffer member and the flat plate member after storing samples 101-113 in the condition of temperature of 23° C. and 51% RH for seven days. After that, a thermal developing process machine (DRYPRO made by Konica Minolta Co Ltd) exposes a test pattern image, executes thermal developing process at 123° C. The evaluating whether there is a scratch on the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material and evaluating the deformation of the tray. Table 5 shows the evaluation results with rankings listed below.

A: When assembling, easily folded, no deformation, tolerance is kept within ±0.5 mm.

B: When assembling, difficult to fold, tends to be deformed but tolerance is kept within ±0.5 mm.

C: When assembling, difficult to fold, deformed and tolerance cannot be kept within ±0.5 mm.

The evaluation of scratches on the sheet type thermally photosensitive material.

A: No scratch is recognized on the thermally developed photosensitive material.

B: Small scratch with a degree which makes little trouble is recognized on the thermally developed photosensitive material.

C: Scratch with a degree which makes trouble is recognized on the thermally developed photosensitive material.

The deformation of the second bottom plate.

A: Deformation is not recognized.

B: Deformation which makes little problem in an actual usage is recognized.

C: Deformation which make problem in an actual usage is recognized. TABLE 5 Main Scratch of body thermally Sam- Board of Degree of developing Deformation ple paper tray Tray difficulty photosensitive of 2^(nd) No. No. No. No. to form material bottom 101 a 1-a 1-A B A B 102 b 1-b 1-B A A A 103 c 1-c 1-C A A A 104 d 1-d 1-D A A A 105 e 1-e 1-E A A A 106 f 1-f 1-F A A A 107 g 1-g 1-G B A B 108 h 1-h 1-H A A B 109 i 1-i 1-I A A A 110 j 1-j 1-J A A A 111 k 1-k 1-K A A A 112 l 1-l 1-L A A A 113 m 1-m 1-M A A B

The effectiveness of the tray for the sheet type image recording material to be used for the embodiments described above has been confirmed.

EXAMPLE B

Sample Nos. 201-208 have been assembled under the same conditions when the sample No. 105 was assembled in the example A other than the main body of the tray, the disk type buffer member and the water content ratio of the flat plate member, which has been changed as shown in Table 6. Meanwhile the water content change was adjusted by placing it into a drying room at the temperature 50° C. so that each water content becomes as it is shown. The water content was measured based on JIS P8127. Two sets of example Nos. 201-208 were produced, the one set was used for the evaluation and the other was kept in a cold and dark place for a reference set.

[Evaluations]

Each package Nos. 201-208 were exposed by the same method of the example A and were processed in the same method of the example A after keeping them at 40° C. for five days. Then evaluating the characteristics such as the optical density in non-exposed portion (fog density) and the maximum density. Excellent test result has been obtained without any problem. At the same time, each reference sample has been exposed and thermally developed under the same conditions. The fluctuations from the reference sample have been evaluated according to the rank shown below. The evaluation results will be shown in Table 6.

The evaluation results of the optical density (fog density) in the non-exposed portion.

A: The optical density is the same as the reference samples.

B: The optical density is higher than the reference samples by from 5% to less than 10%.

C: The optical density is higher than the reference sample by not less than 10%.

The evaluation rank of the maximum optical density.

A: The maximum optical density is the same as the reference sample.

B: The maximum optical density is lower than the reference samples by from 5% to less than 10%.

C: The maximum optical density is lower than the reference sample by not less than 10%. TABLE 6 Percentage Density of Sample of water photographic Highest No. content (%) fog density 201 0.08 A A 202 0.1 A A 203 0.5 A A 204 1.0 A A 205 3.0 A A 206 5.0 A A 207 6.0 B B 208 7.0 B B

The sample No. 201 shows the excellent test results that the changes of the optical fog density and the maximum optical density have not been recognized. However, since small deformation of the second bottom plate has been recognized, the inventors of the present invention noticed that attention should be paid on this fact. The effectiveness the package for the sheet type image recording material has been recognized.

EXAMPLE C

Sample Nos. 301-307 have been assembled under the same conditions when the sample No. 110 was assembled in the example A other than that the distance between the edge of the side walls for regulating the sheet type image recording material position and the second bottom plate formed by the upper surface (flat surface) of the flat plate member has been changed as shown in Table 7.

[Evaluations]

The assembled samples 301-307 have been evaluated by evaluating the process aptitude when assembling the package and the aptitude in the image forming apparatus by taking the number of the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material as a parameter. With regard to the process aptitude and the aptitude inside the image forming apparatus, they have been evaluated according to the evaluation rank below, and the easiness of formation has been evaluated based on the evaluation rank of example A. The evaluation results will be described in Table 7.

[Evaluation Ranks of Process Aptitude]

A: Packaging production is possible with work according to a normal work manual.

B: Packaging production is possible with small attention when loading sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material.

C: Packing production becomes difficult because the loading sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material becomes difficult.

[Evaluation Rank for Aptitude in the Image Forming Apparatus]

A: No conveyance error of sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material occurs and stable conveyance is available.

B: No conveyance error of sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material occurs even though the conveyance is a little bit unstable. In an actual usage, the conveyance is conducted without problems.

C: Conveyance error of sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material occurs and actual usage is difficult. TABLE 7 Degree of Quantity Aptitude Sample Distance difficulty which can be Aptitude in picture No. (mm) to mold accumulated process recorder 301 4 A 15 B B 302 5 A 18 A A 303 10 A 36 A A 304 15 A 54 A A 305 20 A 72 A A 306 25 A 90 A A 307 26 B 93 A A

In the case of sample No. 301 having small number of sheet to be loaded, frequent tray exchange will be expected. In the case of sample No. 307, since the loading capability of the number of sheets becomes large, the frequency of the number of time in which the sheets are left as a residue in the image forming apparatus is expected to become high.

EXAMPLE D

Sample Nos. 401-407 have been assembled under the same conditions when the sample No. 110 was assembled in the example A other than that the pressure resistance strength of the second bottom plate of the tray has been changed as shown in Table 8. The pressure resistance strength has been adjusted by appropriately changing the size and the number of the disk type buffer member which are placed on the first bottom plate. The pressure resistance strength is a measured value when the second bottom plate starts deformation as increasing the number of the sheet type thermally developed photosensitive material on the tray.

[Evaluations]

The evaluation results of the assembled samples 401-407 evaluated by applying the same evaluation rank of the sample A after applying the same test condition with sample A, executing exposure and thermally developed, checking whether there is any scratches on the sheet type thermally developed material, and observing the deformation of the second bottom plate under the same test condition with sample A. The valuation result is shown in Table 8. TABLE 8 Scratch of thermally pressure developed Transformation Sample strength of photosensitive of 2^(nd) bottom No. 2^(nd) bottom (Pa) material plate 401 90 B B 402 100 A A 403 500 A A 404 1,000 A A 405 5,000 A A 406 8,000 A A 407 10,000 A A

The effectiveness of the sheet type image recording material to be used in the embodiment described above has been confirmed.

EXAMPLE E

As shown in FIG. 17, samples No. 501-507 have been assembled under the same condition applied when assembling the sample No. 111 of the Example A except that the distance between the side wall edge of the flat plate member and the front surface of the first bottom plate was changed.

[Evaluation]

The evaluation results of the assembled samples 501-507 evaluated by applying the same evaluation rank of the sample A after executing exposure and thermally developed, checking whether there is any scratches on the sheet type thermally developed material, and observing the deformation of the second bottom plate under the same test condition with sample A. The evaluation result is shown in Table 9. TABLE 9 Scratch of Thermally developed photosensitive Transformation Sample No. Distance (mm) material of 2^(nd) bottom 501 0.0 B B 502 0.1 A A 503 0.5 A A 504 1.0 A A 505 2.0 A A 506 3.0 A A 507 3.2 B B

The effectiveness of the sheet type image recording package to be used in the present embodiment described above has been confirmed.

EXAMPLE F

Samples No. 601-607 have been assembled under the same condition when sample No. 110 of the example A was assembled except that the ratio between the diameters of the flange of the disk type buffer member to be used and the disk top was changed as shown in Table 10.

The evaluation results of the assembled samples 601-607 evaluated by applying the same evaluation rank of the sample A after executing exposure and thermally developed, checking whether there is any scratches on the sheet type thermally developed material, and observing the deformation of the second bottom plate under the same test condition with sample A. The evaluation result is shown in Table 10. TABLE 10 Ratio of diameter of Scratch of Thermally flange and developed Sample diameter of photosensitive Transformation No. disk top material of 2^(nd) bottom 601 1:0.5 B B 602 1:0.6 A A 603 1:0.65 A A 604 1:0.68 A A 605 1:0.7 A A 606 1:0.8 A A 607 1:0.9 B B

The effectiveness of the sheet type image recording material tray to be used in the present embodiment has been confirmed.

A preferable embodiment for redacting the present invention into practice has been described above. According to the method for loading sheet films and an image forming system of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when having loaded a film package without cutting the end portion of the film package, it is possible, in advance, to prevent the main body of the apparatus from moving on and falling from a desk on which the apparatus is placed and from tipping over when pulling out a light shielding bag.

Further, it is possible to damp the transmission of vibration from the outside to the inside of the apparatus when used on the desktop by providing a buffer member having a high friction coefficient capable of decreasing the vibration transmission, on the bottom plate of the housing. Since large force is required to move the apparatus due to the high friction coefficient, it is also further surely prevent the main body of the apparatus on the desktop from moving and falling even forcefully pulling the end portion of the light shielding bag for removing the light shielding bag.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the length of the end portion of the light shielding bag which is outside the outer surface of the apparatus (the length of the light shielding bag being outside the main body of the apparatus) means the length with which a user can handle. The outer surface to be the reference may be of course different from each other corresponding to the design of appearance of the apparatus. For example, in the case that the outer surface 101 a of the apparatus main body 101 of an image forming apparatus is flat without protrusion or recession as shown in FIG. 11(a), the reference surface for the length outside the apparatus is the outer surface 101 a and the length outside the apparatus is ‘n’. In a case where, as shown in FIG. 11(b), there are a surface 102 a extended from the outside surface of the main body 102 of the image forming apparatus and a recessed surface 102 b being recessed on the rear surface side (the film storing tray is located on the surface 102 b) and there is a recessed portion 102 c in the lower portion of the apparatus, if a hand of a user can enter the recessed portion 102 s and handle the light shielding bag, the reference surface of the length outside the apparatus is the outer surface 102 b and the length outside the apparatus will be A. If the hand of the user cannot enter the recessed portion 102 s and cannot handle the light shielding bag, the reference surface of the length outside the apparatus is the outer surface 102 a and the length outside the apparatus will be B. Further, for example, the image forming apparatus 40 shown in FIG. 1 can be configured as a medical laser imager capable of outputting a medical image on a film by inputting medical image data.

It is apparent that the mechanism for maintaining the light shielding in a light shielding bag when loading a film package in a light room is not limited to the rack and pinion mechanism shown in FIG. 5, and it may be of course other mechanisms.

In order to prevent an apparatus from tipping over when a user has forgotten to cut the end portion ‘b’ of a light shielding bag B, it is not limited to providing a lock releasing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 13. For example, it is also possible to shorten the length ‘n’ of the one end portion ‘a’ of the light shielding bag B extending from the apparatus housing 40 a in FIG. 2 to about 70 mm so that a large pulling force is not applied because the user cannot pull the one end portion ‘a’ well enough by holding it. 

1. An image forming system, comprising: (1) an image forming apparatus including: an image forming section that forms an image on a photosensitive sheet film; a loading section to load a plurality of photo sensitive sheet films; and a main body of the apparatus that accommodates the image forming section and the loading section and maintains inside of the main body light shielded; and (2) a film package including: a plurality of photosensitive sheet films; and a light shielding bag that packs the plurality of photosensitive sheet films, wherein, the light shielding bag includes a bag section, a cut section to be cut at a first end portion of the bag section, and a holding section provided at a second end portion of the bag section opposite the first end portion; after the cut section is cut, the film package is loaded on the loading section and mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the holding section is pulled from outside so that the bag is taken out of the main body of the apparatus, and the plurality of photosensitive sheet films remain loaded on the loading section; and a length of the holding section that is outside the main body of the apparatus and pulled is smaller than or equal to 70 mm.
 2. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein a buffer member is provided at a bottom of the main body of the apparatus, the buffer member having a high friction coefficient and being capable of damping vibration transmission.
 3. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the loading section is movable between a sheet film loading position and a film feed-out position in the apparatus.
 4. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the system is a desktop type.
 5. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the holding section has a flat shape having no portion through which to hook a finger.
 6. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the film package is held such that a force to pull out the light shielding bag does not exceed 147 N.
 7. The image forming system of claim 1, comprising a guide to guide the light shielding bag to be pulled out such that the pulling direction of the light shielding bag is upward than horizontal.
 8. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein a weight of the main body of the apparatus is in a range from 60 to 70 kg.
 9. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein a sheet film is exposed with an exposing device, while being developed by a developing device at a front end side of the exposing device.
 10. A sheet film loading method of loading a plurality of photosensitive sheet films by loading a film package comprising a light shielding bag that stores the plurality of light shielding films to a loading section of an image forming apparatus, cutting a cut section provided at an end portion of the light shielding bag, thereafter setting a length of a holding section that is disposed at another end portion and for pulling out the light shielding bag from outside to smaller than or equal to 70 mm. 